


Fluttering, I Land In Your Hand

by Haza_Souz



Series: Shining, Shimmering, Loving [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, Pre-Slash, its 2020 the world is burning and im writing fanfic of my oc being lesbians with a canon figure, its very gay dont ask me why, my WoL x Minfilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23493973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haza_Souz/pseuds/Haza_Souz
Summary: [Set post-Copperbell, during the very first visit to Vesper Bay.](Pre-all the other stories in this series)you make me think of the gentlest things i know
Relationships: Minfilia Warde/Warrior of Light
Series: Shining, Shimmering, Loving [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1487270
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Fluttering, I Land In Your Hand

"Antecendent?" came the voice as the Solar's door creaked open.

Minfilia shifted two forms over and stood, the calm smile of her role easing onto her face with practiced ease. "Yes - ah, thank you." She nodded to the Scion who held the door open for their guest, then exited. She looked the woman up and down, rounding the table, approaching with her hand held out. "Welcome to the Waking Sands. I hope you made it here just fine."

"Ah - thank you," the woman said a little sheepishly, standing with her cane clasped in both hands. She bwoed her head, hesitantly holding one hand out. "My, um, my name is Asch..."

"It's very nice to meet you, Asch. I am Minfilia Warde, of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn," Minfilia answered, taking the hand and shaking it. Asch looked like some of the newer Scions did; still wearing the clothing from the Hall of the Novice's line, not yet worn and torn by monster attacks. She was Hyur, of average height, her hair in a short shoulder-length style, swept to one side and strikingly white. A conjurer, according to Papalymo's report, and one with a skill for learning at shocking speeds.

Her eye was drawn to Asch's left-side cheek, and her brow furrowed. "Are you hurt? You..."

Asch stared in blank bewilderment until Minfilia tapped her cheek, then gasped. "Oh! No, no, it's just a birthmark. I've had this as long as I can remember." She turned her head, still looking shyly at Minfilia, and now the Antecendent could see it clearly - a tattoo-like butterfly mark on her cheek beneath the eye, the same bright white as Asch's hair. She leaned in, tilting her head, intrigued... it shifted, and Minfilia gave a gasp.

"It moved!"

"S-sorry about that!" Asch said, covering it with her hand and bowing her head. "It, it does that sometimes. It's weird... hold on." Still covering it, she reached down for the face-scarf that hung around her neck.

Minfilia looked, and then smiled. "You don't need to cover it at all, Asch." She worried for a moment that she was being too quickly informal, but Asch didn't seem to care, aside from her embarrassed blush deepening. "It's a very pretty mark, and I would be happy to have something like it. Unfortunately, mine is nowhere near as animated."

She turned away and arched her neck, showing the mark of the Scions to her new guest, then looked back. Asch was gazing, her lips parted slightly, and the conjurer blinked twice before refocusing.

"Trust me, we all have our little unique features here, as does everyone else in Eorzea. Yours is just a little more obvious."

"Ah... thank you, Miss Warde. Your, um, tattoo is very pretty too." Asch closed her eyes, still visibly nervous for some reason.

"Minfilia, please... Asch." She smiled warmly again. Maybe it was a bad idea, but Minfilia said it anyway. "Can I touch it?"

"Y- eh?!"

"Ah, my apologies, it was just a thought. I remember going to Gridania once after a storm, and the Seedseer helped me gather a butterfly into my hands, carrying it for the day while its wing was bent during a gale." Wait, why was she going so far to explain this? "I remember how it moved its wings, and rested on my finger, and your mark brought back those memories for me."

Fortunately, Asch saved Minfilia from speaking more, her face a neat red at the edges. "Well... I mean, really, it's fine, I'm just... ...It's not something that I thought would h-happen today."

Well, now she was in a fine bind. Her impulsive, sleep-deprivation-driven request had been granted, and now backing down would make her look like an idiot in front of potentially a very powerful new ally and member... Resolving to take a nice long nap after the hour was up, Minfilia took a cautious step forwards, Asch presenting her cheek, looking steadfastly away from Minfilia all the while.

She reached with a single finger... the white butterfly mark shifted, slipping two inches down Asch's cheek a moment before Minfilia's finger would have touched it, and Minfilia twitched back. "Oh- it moved away...?"

"I-it did?" If Minfilia didn't know better, she'd think Asch was sweating slightly. "I, well, I can't really control it, but, um..." Asch set her jaw, and Minfilia tried again.

This time, she touched the skin, even as it trembled its wings; feeling the warm skin, tracing down it. Asch's face relaxed, her eyes closing slowly, slipping in a glance at Minfilia before they shut and she seemed short of breath in this quiet, intimate moment. Minfilia couldn't help but let her smile return, tracing with the most careful of motions, and maybe the feeling of something settling gingerly on her finger was her memory fooling her senses. It was quiet, neither of them breathing in-

Y'shtola entered, holding a box and Minfilia, for her shame, heard three full steps before her senses returned and she lowered her hand; Asch jumped nearly a full foot, hurriedly pulling up the scarf to cover her bright-red face.

Anyone but Y'shtola, Minfilia groaned inwardly. Papalymo would have let the fact that he walked in on Minfilia tenderly touching the cheek of a pretty Hyur girl pass without comment or judgment. Thancred would have grinningly said nothing for a minute in order to think up the most eye-rollingly insinuating line possible, Yda would ahve been cheerfully asking to do the same, Urianger would have said something incomprehensible... But no, this little moment had been interrupted by Y'shtola, who could leer judgingly, stare amusedly, and grin with her eyes all at the same time, and was in fact doing so at this very moment.

"The recovered Imperial missive from the Twelveswood," Y'shtola said, walking nonchalantly to drop it on the side table. Don't ask it, don't you dare... "Am I interrupting something?" Twelve damn you, Minfilia thought savagely, even as she put the smile back on her face.

"No, nothing, nothing at all. I was jsut... I wanted to make sure everything was all right with Asch, as I am naturally worried about someone who has and will fight alongside the Scions." There. A little too much self-explanation, but perfectly defensible.

Y'shtola looked at her, then turned her head and presented her cheek as well. "In that case, shouldn't you inspect me as well? Given that I most certainly will fight along the Scions as well," she said.

"No, I have all confidence in your fitness," Minfilia said through teeth that were only very slightly gritted. Her mind caught up with her words, and she looked at Asch, who had regained the ability to look at peoples' faces. "Ah, my apologies - I made an assumption, but since you have already taken the time to travel to Vesper Bay...?"

"I would very much likethe chance to help and fight alongside you - I mean, um, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn," Asch said hurriedly, fingers nervously wringing the cane she carried. Y'shtola was certainly hollering internally now, but Minfilia let no trace of that knowledge show.

"Excellent, and I thank you for your willingness to aid Eorzea. ...I hate to break this short, but I would ask that you visit the others in the South Room - out of the Solar, and right down the steps. I have a little business to finish," Minfilia said and dared a glance at Y'shtola - oh, now she was sneering with her eyes, the little... "May I ask you meet with Yda, Papalymo, Thancred and Urianger? They will be your brothers and sisters in arms, along with Y'shtola here."

Y'shtola dropped a sardonic curtsy, though the subtext was lost on Asch, who bowed in polite return. "I will - ah, nice to meet you, Y'shtola. I'll go and... I'll return once I have spoken with them." Asch bowed her head to Minfilia again, then hurried out of the Solar, ears still tinged a very light red.

Minfilia smiled after her and waved as Asch glanced back, then held the pose for a full five seconds before turning to Y'shtola.

"She's certainly worryingly fast at learning adventuring. Not that we don't need good folk like her, what with all the uptick in messes." Y'shtola glanced at Minfilia casually, before delivering the kill. "You'll hardly need to invent reasons for her to come to you."

A very faint, most improper gargled noise of irritation made its way out of Minfilia's mouth, and she felt (to her horror) her ears heat up, very weakly. "I would never do such a thing. I value her potential very highly, and would never waste it on such trivial matters." Minfilia waited a moment, then added; "Though camaraderie is incredibly important for a group like ours."

"Then may the Twelve grant us a close and beneficial relationship with Asch Orkan," Y'shtola said, as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. The door of the Solar opened, and Yda slipped in with two quick steps, the two women nodding to her in greeting.

"Just saw the new recruit on the way here," she said casually, bringing her own box of missives and plonking it on top of Y'shtola's. "She's rather cute, isn't she?"

"I'm afraid our Antecendent has already laid claim and hand upon her, Yda. Just a little bit too late there," the miqo'te lady said casually, even as Minfilia very gently turned to her with murder in her heart and a twitching smile on her lips.

"Oh, you have? Congratulations, Minfilia!", Yda said excitedly, taking the hand that was aiming for Y'shtola's throat and shaking it - and dammit it was impossible to stay really angry when Yda was there. "I really do hope she becomes a good friend to you."

"Yes, but - it's not what Y'shtola says, really," Minfilia sighed, going back around and slumping into her chair. She opened her mouth, trying again to find the words to explain and describe... and they faded, her thoughts finding only the feeling of Asch's butterfly mark fluttering with her touch, her gentle cheek, her shy, relaxed smile, and her bright eyes.

It wasn't what Y'shtola said, that was ridiculous. ...Probably. It probably wasn't.


End file.
